‘They Gave Me My Life Back’: High Schoolers Fix Up Cars for Single Moms in Need
This dad and a class of high school teens are restoring hope, one donated car at a time
Key Takeaways
- Eddie Brown and Virginia high school students refurbish donated cars for single moms.
- The Giving Words Foundation program has successfully donated over 60 cars to date.
- High school teens gain hands-on auto skills while giving local mothers independence.
What began as one dad helping his daughter’s friend with car trouble has blossomed into a partnership with a local high school to refurbish donated vehicles for single moms in need. Here, he shares his story with Woman’s World.
Eddie Brown was working under a car hood in the driveway when his son Sam arrived home from school.
“Our auto tech class is looking for cars to practice oil changes,” he said, grabbing a wrench to help.
The car belonged to his daughter’s friend, who was a single mom. It needed a lot more than an oil change, but Sam’s offer sparked an idea.
How a driveway car repair sparked a community movement
Eddie and his wife, Ginny, who own a small manufacturing company in Louisa County, Virginia, have always wanted to help struggling families in their community. They’d even started the Giving Words Foundation eight years ago to help.
Along the way, they discovered that many of the single mothers didn’t know how to properly care for their vehicles. Eddie often stepped in, but the need was becoming more than he could handle alone. Maybe Sam could help, he hoped.
Ginny teaches English at Louisa County High, where Sam is a student, and through her, Eddie connected with the auto tech instructor.
“If I can find donated cars, can your students fix them up for single moms who need them?”
“I love the idea,” the instructor said without hesitation. Soon, Eddie brought in the first vehicle, a ’98 Jeep Cherokee.
Sam and his classmates rolled up their sleeves and set to work. They rebuilt the Jeep’s front end and flushed the transmission. They replaced the valve covers and even installed a new headliner and seat belts.
“I know the mom who’s getting this,” Sam told the others. “Her name’s Monica, and without a car, she can’t work or take her autistic son to his doctor appointments.”
The day the class handed over the keys, Monica burst into grateful tears. It was a powerful moment for the students, too, as their eyes misted with pride, realizing what their hard work had made possible for a single mom in need.
Changing lives one donated vehicle at a time
For Eddie, the Jeep was just the start. He asked the community to donate cars in good working order, and there was an outpouring of generosity. AutoZone offered discounted parts, and a local shop inspected each vehicle before it went to its new owner.
“The cars Eddie brings in are always in good shape,” says Shane Robertson, the school’s current auto tech instructor. “The students love meeting the moms and their kids and knowing what a difference their work is making.”
It certainly had a huge impact for Shannon Bruster, an Amazon employee who was living in her car with her 6-year-old son, James, when the old heap finally gave out. Her aunt told her about Giving Words, and Shannon reached out right away for assistance.
Last summer, Shannon was the proud recipient of a 2013 Honda Accord.
“It’s the newest car I’ve ever owned,” she says, still amazed. “Eddie and the kids gave me more than just a car — they gave me back my life.”
So far, Eddie and the students have refurbished and given away over 60 cars, with many more vehicles and moms waiting their turns. To speed things up, Eddie is expanding the program to other area high schools.
“The more moms we can get back on the road, the better,” he says. “We’re providing cars, but what we’re really offering is dignity and independence.”
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